Forensic DNA analysis provides one of the most definitive proofs of human identification allowed by modern technology. Success of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) typing is related to the quality and quantity of the DNA recovered for analysis. Most devices currently employed by law enforcement for crime scene sample collection (e.g. cotton or nylon swabs) are inefficient in DNA release leading to less than desirable recovery of DNA and possible poor analysis. A superior technology that allows capturing greater amounts of biological materials from crime scenes and is engineered to release the captured DNA in a manner conducive to yield high quantities and quality, if present in a sample, would be of substantial benefit to law enforcement in developing more investigative leads, solving more crimes, excluding individuals not associated with limited quantity samples, and ultimately result in significant savings for investigators and the laboratory. In conjunction with optimizing sample collection and DNA release, providing more sensitive analytical methods can aid in current difficult to analyze sample types, e.g., touch DNA samples, remains from mass disasters and missing persons identifications.